Method of preparing skins for tanning.



IVASHINGTON L. ALBEE, OF BUFFALO, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOSOI-IOELLKOPF & COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEWV YORK, A FIRM.

METHOD OF PREPARING SKINS FOR TANNING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 702,864, dated June 17,1902.

Application filed March 29,1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LVVAsHINGToN L. ALBEE, a'citizen of the United States,and a resident of Buifalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Preparing Skinsfor Tanning, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that treatment of IO sheepskins which has thepurpose to cleanse the skins after the wool has been removed and beforetanning the skins.

In preparing sheepskins for tanning the wool is first removed from theskins by hand as far as possible. The greater part of the fine shorthair or wool, which is almost invisible and very difficult to remove,remains on the skin. This fine hair is grounded in the outermost layerof the skin, usually called the epidermis or scarf-skin. The object ofmyinvention is to disintegrate and remove this outer layer or scarf-skincontaining this fine short hair and other foreign matter by a simple,cheap, and efficient method which cleanses the skins thoroughly in acomparatively short period of time and without injuring the skins.

In practicing my invention the skins are first steeped for a period ofabout ten hours in a preliminary cleansing solution, then milled oragitated for about three hours in the main cleansing solution, thenmilled or agitated for about two hours in a final cleansing solution,and finally rinsed in cold water.

3 5 The preliminary cleansing solution consists of about two parts, byweight, of sulfid of sodium, one part of bicarbonate of soda, and onepart of borax dissolved in ninety-six parts of cold water. This solutionis placed in a vat, tank, or pit, and the skins are steeped in thissolution for about ten hours, preferably overnight.

The main cleansing solution consists of about two parts of sulfid ofsodium, two parts of bicarbonate of soda, one part of boraX, and

one part of caustic soda dissolved in ninetyfour parts of water. Thissolution is placed Serial No, 53.510. (No specimens.)

in the usual pin-wheel or rotary drum in which skins are milled oragitated preparatory to tanning. The skins are removed from the steepingsolution and placed in this drum or pin-wheel and are agitated in thesame for about three hours at a temperature of about 80 Fahrenheit. Thesolution is then withdrawn from the drum, and the latter is suppliedwith the final cleansing solution, which consists of about one part ofbicarbonate of soda and one part of boraX dissolved in ninety-eightparts of water. .The skins are agitated in this solution for about twohours at a temperature of about 90 Fahrenheit. The final cleansingsolution is then drawn 01f, and the skins are rinsed in the pinwheel incold water for about ten minutes. This treatment disintegrates andremoves the outer scarf-skin or epidermis containing the fine hair orWool and cleanses the skins thoroughly on both sides without injury tothe skins, leaving the latter soft, plump, clean, and strong. The skinsare then pickled with sulfuric acid and salt in the usual manner and arethen ready for tanning.

While this process is particularly desirable for the treatment ofsheepskins, it may also be advantageously applied for the treatment ofother skins. The strength of the solutions given above is suitable formost kinds of skins, but may be varied somewhat in accordance with thecharacter of the skins, as thick and heavy skins require stronger solu-8o tions than light and delicate skins.

I claim as my invention 1. The herein-described method of cleansingskins preparatory to tanning which contion of sulfid of sodium,bicarbonate of soda and borax, then agitating the skins in awaterysolution of sulfid of sodium, bicarbonate of soda, boraX andcaustic soda, and then agitating the skins in a watery solution of bi-9o carbonate of soda and borax, substantially as set forth.

2. In the art of cleansing skins preparatory to tanning, the method ofpreparing the skins sists in steeping the skins in a watery solufortreatment with the main cleansing solucarbonate of soda, borax, andcaustic soda, 10 tion which consists in steeping the skins in asubstantially as set forth.

watery solution of sulfid of sodium, bicarbon- Witness my hand this 26thday of March, ate of soda and borax, substantially as set 1901. 5 forth.

3. In the art of cleansing skins preparatory WASHINGTON ALBEE' totanning, the method of treating the skins I l/Vitnesses: with a maincleansing solution which consists EDWARD VILHELM, of a watery solutionof sulfid of sodium, bil CYESTA HORNBEOK.

